Strawberry Prisoner
by redanimeauthor
Summary: Ichigo Kurosaki was one of the best fighters in Soul Society, a lieutenant and soon to be, a captain. But something happened and he was arrested for crimes he couldn't remember committing and thrown into the Seireitei, Soul Society's strongest and most heavily guarded prison. Now he is fighting daily to stay alive and at the same time struggling to regain his memory.
1. Welcome to Seireitei

Ichigo grunted as he was pushed through the double doors into the prison cafeteria. The guards escorting him unlocked the handcuffs on his ankles and wrists and shoved him forward. Ichigo growled in irritation at the doors as they swung shut behind him before rubbing his wrists and turning around to survey the room he was in.

Slate grey concrete walls and floor greeted him; the room was wide open with a small window at the opposite end. Through that window, that Ichigo would bet was covered with unbreakable glass, a cafeteria worker could be seen dishing up bowls of steaming slop before it was pushed through a little door with a flap to the inmates lined up waiting.

The orangette slid his eyes over the inmates that crowded around the large room, taking their measure. This was the Seireitei, Soul Society's strongest prison, reserved only for the people considered the most dangerous. Murderers and psychopaths primarily. Ichigo scowled from where he was concealing himself in the shadows on the edge of the room hoping to go unnoticed. He didn't even know why he was fuckin here. This prison was filled with arrancars that couldn't be controlled and soul reapers that had gone rogue, breaking Soul Society law. He wasn't like them; at least he was pretty sure he wasn't.

His eyes taking in everything, Ichigo shifted a little bit, pulling at the collar of his white prison jacket. Humans put their convicts in orange; shinigami put their prisoners in white so that they could easily be told apart from the black clad guards. Even though they had called this room the cafeteria, there weren't any tables or chairs, just a bunch of white clad prisoners milling around talking and eating. What, were they too dangerous to even be allowed chairs to sit on?

A pink haired prisoner on the edge of the group looked around, hearing the door open and shut. His eyes landing directly on Ichigo. Shit; so much for going unnoticed. The pink haired man smirked and turned to the tall thin man next to him and whispered up to his ear. The black haired guy turned around, the one eye not covered in an eye patch glinting maliciously. Seeing Ichigo slouching in the corner he his lips split with a grin that was all teeth and full of crazy.

He raised his voice so that it echoed around the room, "Looky what we got here, fresh meat." His grin took up the majority of his face. All of the other prisoners turned toward the man's voice, looking around. When they saw Ichigo they started grinning too and moved towards him in a group.

One of the prisoners pointed and laughed, "Look at the berry head. You should have dyed your hair before coming you little prick."

The orange haired teen sighed before straightening up and cricking his neck to the side. It would have had to happen at some point he supposed. In high school he had been tortured mercilessly for his bright orange hair and it only made sense that it would attract attention to him in prison as well.

He stepped from the shadows and stood legs apart, arms crossed over his chest. He noticed that only a couple dozen of the inmates were actually moving forward, the rest lingered behind, content to simply watch the newbie get his ass kicked. Fucking cowards.

The small mob surrounded him. Ichigo tensed, ready for a fight. His body was hard and toned and he was one of the best fighters in Soul Society. He was ready to take on all of them. Granted he didn't have his sword, but they didn't have theirs either so he wouldn't be at that much of a disadvantage. His eyes narrowed and calculated how hard it would be too take them all on.

Before he could make the first move however, one of the prisoners stepped forward. He was slightly taller than Ichigo with slicked back brown hair and a graceful body. His eyes were clever behind a wavy hair lock and he gave a small smirk. Ichigo was instantly on guard.

"Hello there, I am Sosuke Aizen. Welcome to the Seireitei." His voice was polite, one of his hands extended to indicate the men behind him. "We mean you no harm. I believe we should try talking before fighting, don't you?"

Ichigo snorted, "Actually I would prefer to just kick the shit out of you guys and go to my cell." The men behind Aizen laughed at that. What could this single teen do?

Aizen's smirk grew and he waved the prisoners forward, falling back behind them. "Very well, if that's what you want, just remember, you chose this."

The men grew closer, the one leading them at the fore the tall skinny guy from earlier. He didn't look that tough, but Ichigo kept his guard up. You never could tell with arrancars, just how strong they would be, and this guy was no exception. Behind him stood various other prisoners, practically salivating over the chance to beat him to a pulp. Ichigo couldn't see any shinigami however, just arrancars with their fractured masks. Weird.

He didn't have time to think on it because the tall guy rushed forward leading the multiple guys behind him. Ichigo lunged forward, only to be halted when he was grabbed from behind. A guy had crept up behind him without Ichigo noticing. The man was large with brown skin and a chunk of a hollow mask covering his chin. He pinned Ichigo's arms to his sides and kept him immobile.

Shit! Ichigo wriggled and jerked but he couldn't get loose, the guy's grip was to strong. The tall guy was in front of them now, grin stretching his face, fists clenched. Swinging his leg up, Ichigo planted it on the tall guy's face and pushed off hard. The force launched Ichigo and the big guy holding onto him backwards and into the wall. His head slamming on the concrete, the guy's hold on Ichigo slackened. Ichigo broke away and raised his fist to meet the face of an oncoming arrancar. The guy howled, falling backwards, holding his bleeding nose. He was pushed back and others rushed forward. Ichigo lunged at the closest one kicking the guy's legs out from under him before sending an elbow into the face of another behind him.

Ichigo dropped one prisoner after another leaving them broken and bleeding. One fist managed to clip his jaw and he sent a flying round house kick into the bastard's side. The fight went on for minutes; the arrancars getting pummeled while Ichigo only got hit once or twice.

He looked around, sweat weighing down his orange hair and dripping into his eyes, panting slightly. He had a small cut on his chin and it burned like hell when sweat slid over it. He swung around to realize that the arrancars that were still standing had backed away forming a loose circle around him. Ichigo's brown eyes darted around. What the hell were they doing?

A figure approached from behind the circle of bloody prisoners. What now? Ichigo thought.


	2. Who Are You?

Ichigo watched warily as new a figure approached the circle. Ichigo spit to the side, clearing his mouth of sweat and got ready for another fight if that's what this guy was looking for. The other prisoners backed away from the newcomer, respect and fear in their eyes. A shock of thick blue hair, clear blue eyes and beneath them green tattooed lines that looked almost like make-up. He had a manic grin on his face and a piece of hollow mask gracing his strong jaw. Walking with a confident, graceful step, he approached Ichigo and stopped a couple feet away from the teen.

Ichigo belatedly noticed that the blue haired man led a couple other prisoners that trailed behind him. All arrancars, and if the strength of their reiatsu was anything to judge by, stronger than the other hollows Ichigo had just pummeled.

Eyes narrowed, Ichigo watched the new comers carefully. What did they want? Another fight? Whatever, he was ready for another round. The blue haired arrancar's grin widened and Ichigo felt the man's reiatsu spike. In response, the guys that followed behind him raised theirs as well. The stupid fucks were testing him; challenging him. The lesser hollows that stood around dropped to their knees, some unconscious before they even hit the floor.

The heightened reiatsu felt like a fog that was trying to choke him. He shrugged the heavy spiritual pressure off and allowed his to raise a hair. If it was a pissing match they wanted, it was a pissing match they would get.

The grin on the blue-head lessened slightly then morphed into a tight lipped snarl as he felt the strong reiatsu rolling of Ichigo. His reiatsu heightened and those behind him did as well. Ichigo allowed a grin to kidnap his lips, was this all they could manage-pathetic. He raised his a notch in a challenge of his own.

Ichigo watched as sweat beaded on the lip of one of the hollows behind the blue-head. He was a feminine looking male with short black hair and a hollow piece resting on his hair. The arms covered by his overlong sleeves quivered with exertion. Narrowing his brown eyes, Ichigo raised his reiatsu a little more and the black haired arrancar's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed. Not long after, the rest of the arrancars behind the blue-head fell to the ground, unable to raise their own reiatsu any further or stand up to the combine spiritual pressure of the blue-head and Ichigo.

The blue haired arrancar snarled harshly. Ichigo felt his own lips lift in a growl. He wouldn't be able to lift his reiatsu much further. When he was first arrested a collar had been snapped around his neck that immediately sapped his reiatsu. His spiritual pressure was a mere fraction of what it normally was.

In a sudden move, the blue-head allowed his spiritual pressure to drop before launching himself at Ichigo in a surprise attack. However, his movements had been shallow and predicable. Being an experienced fighter, with a couple decades under his belt as shinigami, Ichigo easily read through the charging arrancar's attack.

As the arrancar lunged, Ichigo stepped to the side and swung out a strong arm, close-lining the blue-haired bastard. The arrancar landed on his back, hard, and remained on the concrete floor gasping for the air that had just been knocked out of him.

Around Ichigo, there was a wide circle of unconscious arrancar prisoners. The ones that Ichigo had not knocked out himself beforehand had been unable to withstand the combined mass of his and the blue-head's spiritual pressure.

The prisoners that had been watching from the edges of the room shuffled and murmured amongst themselves, drawing Ichigo's attention. His eyes darted around. The arrancars and shinigami were staring at him and whispering to each other, each with a different expression on their face. Anger, fear, distrust, and, even, admiration in the case of some of the shinigami. Ichigo raised his chin and met the eye of every prisoner who dared to meet his.

The collapsed blue-haired arrancar on the floor coughed and growled out, "Who the fuck are you?"

Ichigo opened his mouth to tell the blue-haired bastard to fuck off but was interrupted by smooth, slippery voice, "Just wha I would like to know actually." The owner of the voice was a tall, skinny man with light purple hair. His eyes were narrowed to slits and he had a thin grin on his face. Ichigo suppressed a scowl. From his appearance alone, Ichigo knew this man. He was Ichimaru Gin, former captain of 3rd division. He had been thrown in prison here decades before Ichigo had joined the 13 divisions. His ruthlessness and cunning were legendary in Soul Society. A great, if somewhat dubious, captain before he had killed one of his fellow captains in cold blood. He had been found guilty and had been thrown in here.

The man was a snake and fox and he was currently walking across the room towards Ichigo, his white prison garments hanging loosely on his thin frame. Ichigo tensed ready for another fight.

The man raised his hands and spoke, "Easy now, I'm not here to fight ya, just ta talk." Ichigo didn't relax in the slightest. The slit-eyed man sighed, "Seriously, I'm not gonna to fight ya. Besides if two prisoners with our spiritual pressure were to butt heads, the guards would almost definitely intervene." Ichigo watched him warily, grudgingly acknowledging that what he said was correct.

Ichimaru Gin took a step closer offering a hand, "My name is Gin. Welcome to Seireitei. What may I call ya?"

Ichigo eyed him cautiously and then warily took his hand and pumped it once before replying, "Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Hmmm," was the only reply he got from the purple haired man and that sound alone was full of contemplation and made Ichigo suspicious. The man sounded as if he knew of Ichigo. There was a grunt behind them and Ichigo turned around. The blue-headed arrancar was struggling to his feet. He glared at Ichigo before taking a faltering step forward.

"Enough of this." The order echoed around the room. A black clad guard had emerged from a door to the left of Ichigo with two other guards. They held no weapons but walked forward fearlessly all the same. Guards that worked in the Seireitei prison had to know how to subdue prisoners without weapons so that they didn't run the risk of having their weapons taken by the prisoners. "Anymore fighting will result in immediate isolation for all parties involved." He turned to the room at large, "Everyone clear the room, lunch is over, return to your cells now." The order did not allow for any argument.

Ichigo watched as the other prisoners began to filter quickly from the lunch hall. Gin stepped forward and said, "It was a pleasure to meet you, I hope we can talk again soon." Ichigo nodded slightly and Gin walked away. The orange haired soul reaper made a move to follow but was stopped by the guard that had spoken previously.

"Kurosaki, you have a visitor." The guard said jerking his head to the door that he and his comrades had come through. Ichigo nodded once more and followed them through the door that led to the visitor's area.


	3. Visitation

Gin third person POV

Kurosaki Ichigo, hmm? The name glided through Gin's mind as his slitted eyes tracked the exit of the orange-haired shinigami. He had heard of the kid before. After graduating from the soul reaper academy he had been placed in squad 13. He had moved quickly through the ranks and when the position for the 2nd seat had opened he had been immediately promoted. The acting captain, Ukitake, was terminally ill and was frequently unable to complete his duties as captain. Kurosaki had calmly and assuredly stepped into the role and was praised for being able to run the squad smoothly and efficiently. The captain had made the announcement that he would be retiring soon and would leave the squad to Ichigo. Gin smiled; what a kick in the teeth that must have been when Ichigo was arrested.

Gin slowly considered the young shinigami. He knew everything about the man's life before his imprisonment but he did not know why he had been imprisoned. What could the kid have done to warrant imprisonment in the Seireitei prison, the one reserved only for those whose crimes were considered the most heinous and evil. Gin tapped a long slender finger to his lips in contemplation; he would have to find out.

Ichigo third person POV

"What do you mean they won't hear my case?!" Ichigo shouted angrily. His hands were shackled together with the chain looped to a longer chain that connected the shackles to his feet. The metal bonds were made out of a special reiatsu neutralizing material; Ichigo took that to mean that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break them. On the other side of a plate glass window, a man and a cat sat regarding him with serious expressions. The man had a green and white striped out pulled low over his eyes and a black boat and clogs on his feet. The cat was black with gold eyes and a flicking tail.

"The central 46 say they have all the evidence they need of your conviction. Even I must admit that the evidence against you is hard to refute." Seeing Ichigo opening his mouth in anger, Urahara Kisuke rushed on, "but that doesn't mean I believe you did what they say you did. I can just understand where they are coming from Kurosaki-kun."

"I visited the scene where you were found to investigate myself," Yoruichi stated, the deep voice calm and assuring, tail flicking back and forth. "There were strange traces of reiatsu that I don't understand. Kisuke is analyzing them now."

Urahara leaned forward, his breath appearing slightly on the glass in front of Ichigo. "Kurosaki-kun, can you tell us anymore about what happened? Have you been able to remember anything else?"

Ichigo scowled and sighed dejectedly, before bowing his head to run his fingers through his hair. He remained that way for a moment, concentrating hard. He lifted his head, the empty look in his eye, giving his answer before his lips did, "I don't remember anything. I've told you everything that I could."

Urahara and Yoruichi fell silent. Ichigo was disappointed, angry and frustrated. The emotions were primarily directed at himself but also at the Central 46. How could they not even hear his case? He was lieutenant for fuck's sake, and they couldn't even consider it?! His brown eyes slid shut and despair began to creep its way through his mind and he began to doubt himself. What if he had killed those soul reapers, he couldn't remember what happened. It's possible that he was responsible for what happened that night. No! Ichigo shook those niggling thoughts away. He knew it wasn't him. He wouldn't do something like that. He swore to always protect his comrades, no matter what; that's why he fought so long to become strong, to protect everyone. His thoughts strayed to one person in particular.

He looked up at his two defenders and asked lowly, "How is she?" Urahara and Yoruichi didn't even have to ask who Ichigo was referring to, he asked about her every time without fail.

Urahara sighed before tugging his hat lower to conceal his eyes, "She asks about you every day. It frustrates her that they won't allow her to see you." Ichigo was grimly happy about this; he wouldn't want her to see him looking like this, a prisoner.

A high pitched beep echoed through the visiting room making the trio jump slightly. A guard walked to Ichigo and said gruffly, "Visiting is over, back to your cell." Ichigo nodded in response before turning to the two people he considered among his friends.

"Thank you for what you are doing for me. We need to find out who really killed those men." Urahara and Yoruichi nodded silently. Ichigo rose from his seat, his slender yet muscled form, stretching out the kinks from sitting for so long. He began to walk away before stopping to glance back at the man and the cat.

"Please keep her safe," he requested quietly. Urahara hid his surprise behind a fan. Ichigo didn't ask for help very often. She was very important to him indeed if he asked for help to keep her from harm.

Yoruichi responded, "Of course. You keep an eye on your fellow inmates, some of them are dangerous." Ichigo nodded grimly in response, he had already figured that out. The guard placed a hand on Ichigo's shoulder to guide him around to the exit. Ichigo kept his head high, eyes blazing with determination. He would prove himself innocent and he would get out of this prison. The door locked behind him as he stepped through, leaving his friends behind.

**Thank you so much for reading; I hope you are enjoying the story so far. This is my first fan fiction story and I would be grateful it if you guys would review it and give me your honest opinions so that I can make it better.**

**I will try to update at the end of every week from now on.**

**=] **


	4. One night down

Ichigo's head was buzzing with what Kisuke and Yoruichi had said. He was too be convicted and found guilty without a trial, he wouldn't be able to plead his case or even be given the chance to prove that he hadn't killed those men. A chill prickled his skin as he paced his cell. Back and forth, back and forth; over and over. He felt like screaming and hitting the wall in his frustration. Soul Society law mandates that he be given a trial and a chance to plead his case and yet they wouldn't even see him. Did they refuse to obey their own laws? His rage bubbled through his blood like boiling acid, burning everything. He was a goddamn lieutenant and the Central 46 could not even give him a chance to prove his innocence. His footsteps staggered as red clouded his vision and he felt his thoughts grow muddled. He crouched on the cement floor and grasped his head between his palms; eyes clenched shut as anger, dark and hot, ripped at him.

He felt like picking up his zanpakuto and fighting; cutting, slicing his enemies to shreds, thin and bloody. His spiritual pressure rose and fell before rising again, unstable. Kill, he wanted to kill. A high pitched cackle echoed in his ears causing him to jerk and gasp. His head shot up and he looked, wild eyed, around him. His cell greeted his gaze, dark, cold and empty aside from himself. No one was in there with him. There wasn't anyone at his cell door and snores were the only noise that could be heard in the prison.

What the hell just happened? His emotions had gone haywire and he had lost control of his spiritual pressure, something that hadn't happened since his early days in the academy. He had learned how to keep his massive reiatsu under control so that it didn't crush those weaker than him. Yet at the slightest twinge of anger, he completely lost it. What the hell? Ichigo shook his orange head at himself before moving to sit on his cot.

The cells were built for one person and sparsely furnished with a cot, a book shelf with three ledges and a toilet with a small sink in corner. The prisoners in Seireitei were deemed too dangerous to be allowed to room together so they were kept in separate one man cells; a small blessing. Sitting on the thin blanket he rubbed at his hand, automatically tracing the line where his wedding ring used to rest. Upon his imprisonment, his ring was confiscated, the prisoners weren't allowed outside objects. His mind was flooded with images of his wife, banishing the confusing thoughts of his rage and the creepy ghost laugh.

Ichigo lied down on his cot and stared up at the concrete ceiling above him. Turning his head, he stared at the wall. His eyes felt hot and his chest hurt with missing her. Her face drew him into his mind and his eyes slid closed as sleep overtook his tired mind.

The next morning came too fast for Ichigo's taste, each dong of the wake up bell filling his ears and pulling him from his dreams. He wished he could stay within their warm embraces but the damn bell was way too persistent. He groaned and rose into a sitting position, scratching at his orange locks and yawning.

A fist banged at his door loudly accompanied by a voice yelling, "Up, prisoner! Showers then breakfast. You may have been a big shot in the 13 Court Guard squads but here you are no different than every other sack of shit wearing white." He hit the door again before walking off to harass more stragglers.

"Fuck off," Ichigo mumbled sleepily, the man already out of ear shot. He had never been much of a morning person and this one was starting off shittier than most. He rose from his bed and stretched his arms and arched his back, popping his shoulders. He grabbed his prison jacket, a white zip-up with a hood and pulled it over his white shirt. He missed his Shihakushō uniform but it had been a choice between this and an ugly-ass white robe. The clothing they wore was designed in a way that kept the prisoners from being able to hide weapons beneath the garments. The white pants he wore resembled the jeans he used to wear in the human world except there weren't any pockets.

He slipped on his sandals and opened his metal door. They were automatically unlocked in the mornings at the bell. The solid metal slab swung outward to reveal the purple haired man from yesterday, standing with his creepy shut eyes and thin snakelike smile.

"Good morning," he chirped, "How'd ya sleep?"

Ichigo responded cautiously with another yawn, "Fine I guess. Why the hell do we have to wake up so damn early? And what do you want anyway?"

Quick as the snake he resembled, Gin darted to Ichigo's side and looped his arm through the startled orange-haired man's. "Just to show ya around, that's all. Yer a newbie and I have decided to be the one that shows ya around."

"Why do you want to do that?" Ichigo tried to extricate himself from the taller man's grip but failed. The man started to drag him forward, out of the cell and into the hallway.

"Cuz I like ya, that's why. Yer interestin' and I don't want ya getting beat up again. The guards let the occasional fight go but not often."

"Me get beat up?" Ichigo snapped incredulously.

"Eh, whatever; point is, the other prisoners ain't too fond of ya so they will try to corner ya again. And this time, they'll be better prepared." Ichigo absorbed this in silence.

They continued down the hall, eventually merging with a line of men moving in the same direction. Ichigo found that it was easy to tell the shinigami from the arrancars. The arrancars had mask fragment s and hollow holes and the two groups stayed away from each other; not even making eye contact. Gin and Ichigo automatically melded in with the other shinigami. Eyes glanced over at Ichigo before darting away. _Well at least they are afraid of me_, Ichigo thought grimly. Hopefully that was fewer prisoners that would be messing with him.

The line converged with three other lines of prisoners at a cross roads, one group branched off to the lunch room while the others went off to the showers.

"They have specified bathroom and eating schedules for the prisoners," Gin said in response to Ichigo's questioning gaze. "Every aspect and nuance of our lives are controlled, scheduled and monitored. Don't worry you'll get used to it." Ichigo highly doubted that. He could feel the lack of freedom here like a palpable substance and he didn't like it one bit.

The two filed into the shower rooms where Ichigo froze. Men were shucking their clothes to continue nude into the showers. The showers were nothing more than spigot heads high on the walls spilling lukewarm water down on the prisoners below side by side. The water had timers set in for five minutes where they would automatically shut off. The prisoners scrubbed down, rinsed off and got dressed before leaving.

Ichigo turned to look at Gin and was mortified to find that the purple haired man was already nude. Ichigo's face turned red as he kept his eyes averted. This had to be against the law. No way in hell was he showering in front of a bunch of other guys. No way.

"Come on, hurry up. I want to go to breakfast sometime today," Gin said before walking toward an open spigot. He paused before turning around to look at Ichigo, his smile creepy and amused, "I would advise you to not drop the soap by the way."

_Oh fuck_, Ichigo thought.

**Thanks for reading, hoped you liked it. Review and let me know how much **

**=]**


	5. Breakfast and Mush

**I do not own Bleach or its characters (unfortunately).**

Ichigo rested his back against the wall, slid to the ground and onto his butt with a sigh. He leaned his head back against the wall and shut his eyes. That was pure hell. Having to shower in front of a bunch of guys. He had been able to get his own little shower head way in the corner and had showered with his back to everyone. When he had undressed he had done it nonchalantly and ignored everyone. The tips of his ear were a little pink but otherwise he had pretended that he didn't have a problem with showering in front of a bunch of guys.

He really didn't have a problem with it; he showered in the squad 13 barracks all the time with his comrades. They joked around and talked and were comfortable with each other. It was scary different in prison though. Back in the barracks he didn't have to afraid that if he bent over he would be raped by a murder, psychopath or a combination of the two. He had been aware of the multiple stares that he had drawn from other prisoners but he had kept his down and had taken the fastest shower of his life.

"Fuck," he sighed, scratching at his spiky orange locks. The bowl of mush by his side stared up at him. He swirled his spoon through the watery cement flavored slop in disgust before letting the plastic spoon drop back into the plastic ball with a clack. Prison food sucked.

Gin sat down nest to Ichigo holding his own bowl of grey "food." He lifted the spoon to his lips before grinning at the look of revulsion on Ichigo's face.

"We gotta eat something, Strawberry."

Ichigo instantly scowled. "My name means protector, not fuckin Strawberry."

Gin shrugged with a closed eyed smirk, "eh whatever berry head. Gonna have a nickname eventually and it's better than fresh meat or-"

"Bitch Boy," someone interrupted. Ichigo looked up to see a man in standing in front of him. The guy had short raven length hair and weird eyebrow feather things sticking off his face. His purple eyes were amused and looking Ichigo up and down. He sat down cross legged in front of Ichigo and Gin. He flipped his hair and continued, "I'm Yumichika by the way. Most of the prisoners round here call me Bitch Boy, a truly hideous name to be sure."

Ichigo nodded slightly before responding, "Kurosaki Ichigo."

Yumichika continued to stare making Ichigo scowl hard.

"What the fuck are you looking at?" Ichigo demanded. Gin snorted and Yumichika smiled.

"Just a little game," he replied. "I'm trying to figure you out; whether you are a shinigami or a filthy arrancar. Since you don't have a mask fragment or a hole, you must be a shinigami. What squad were you in? I was in the 11th squad myself before I was thrown in here. What seat were you? What did you do to get thrown in here? How did-"

Ichigo stared wide eyed as the man continued to fire question after question at him, never even giving him a chance to respond. Chocolate brown eyes cut to the grinning figure of Gin in askance. Who the fuck was this nosy, little chatter box? The closed eyed bastard just kept silent and let Ichigo suffer.

A hand came up and smacked Yumichika in the back of the head, cutting off his endless stream of words. The owner of the hand was a bald man with weird red tattoos at the corners of his eyes. He looked vaguely familiar.

"Give the kid a chance to think Yumi, Christ." He turned to Ichigo and blinked in surprise. "Ichigo Kurosaki? Is that you? What are you doing in this hell?" Now Ichigo recognized the man. He was Ikkaku Madarame; the former third seat of the 11th squad. He had been arrested on murder charges a few years ago.

Ichigo got to his feet and offered a hand to Ikkaku which he took and shook. Ichigo sat back on the ground and Ikkaku followed suit. Yumichika glanced between the two of them confused for a moment before finally recognizing Ichigo and they shook hands as well.

After looking at the purple eyed man for a moment Ichigo had recognized him as well. Yumichika Ayasegawa, the fifth seat of the 11th squad. They had all been in the academy together and the two lovers had been inseparable.

"It's been a while guys, how did you end up here?" Ichigo asked. His mind thrown through a loop; he had never thought he would actually see someone that he knew in prison.

"Well, we-" Yumichika started but was interrupted by someone sliding down the wall next to Ichigo causing the orangette to jump slightly. It was a sleepy eyed man with mid-length brown hair and a matching goatee on his chin. He leaned his head against Ichigo's shoulder and promptly began snoring. Ichigo was stiff in surprise at first, waiting for the guy to pull something. But when he continued to sleep, Ichigo gradually relaxed.

"That's Starrk, by the way. He is an arrancar," Gin laughed. Ichigo stiffened all over again, "but he's okay. He is too lazy to even be bothered with fighting. He's one of us." Ichigo stared at the brunette drooling on his shoulder. He didn't seem dangerous but Ichigo knew that could a cover up for a strong warrior. He kept an eye on the man before turning back to the others.

Damn this collar, he couldn't sense reiatsu in the slightest with it on and if he wasn't careful, someone was going to get the jump on him just like STarrk just did. He rubbed at the metal band at his throat in irritation.

Ikkaku watch him do this and stated, "Don't worry, you get used to the fuckin things after a while."

Yumichika snorted, "Yeah right. That's a lie and you know it. Those things are used to keep us under control. We can't control or sense spiritual pressure. They took our zanpakuto so we can't even communicate with them. We aren't trusted with tables or chairs and we are monitored 24/7." The heated tirade left the man's face pink and angry, his mouth twisted in a sneer.

"Ya forget though, most of us are a danger. We are murderers, psychos and rapists. We don't deserve freedom." Gin mocked.

"What did you guys get thrown in here for anyway?" Ichigo queried, bringing the conversation back to its origins before Starrk had shown up.

Ikkaku barked a laugh and Yumichika just closed his eyes and leaned his head against his boyfriend's shoulder. It was Ikkaku that spoke, "We were arrested for murder of civilians. We in squad 11 know how to appreciate a fight but we ain't murderers. I had been third seat, Yumi here was the fifth. We were out on an assignment. Some troublemakers in West Rukon needed managing. When we went out, they were expecting us." Ikkaku's face darkened and Yumichika clenched his eyes shut tighter.

The bald man expelled an angry sigh before continuing, "Our entire unit was slaughtered. Only Yumi and I survived. We killed as many as we could before the cowards ran off. We were about to pursue but before we could, we were surrounded by the punishment squad and were arrested. Never given a chance to prove we were innocent or plead our case. We were thrown in here to rot without a second glance." The man's fists were trembling and a grimace pulled his lips.

"The bastards didn't even let us see our captain. Soul reaper law states that we are to be given a fair trial before Central 46 and we weren't even heard out. That bitch Soi Fon wouldn't even listen and she is the captain of the punishment squad. We were processed and thrown in here." Unable to continue, he set his head on Yumichika's shoulder and tried to breathe through his anger.

Ichigo looked down at his arms where they were crossed over his chest; Starrk was still snoring on his shoulder. He looked calm on the outside but on the inside he was reeling. What was going on around here? The Central 46 refused to hear their case as well as his. What the fuck? Was this the same for everyone?

He glanced at Gin and was surprised to find the man already staring at him. Ichigo opened his mouth to question him but was interrupted by a commotion on the other side of the hall. Ichigo glanced up before thrusting one strong arm forward, pushing Ikkaku and Yumichika backwards. Ichigo rolled to the side, automatically bringing the sleeping arrancar with him.

A second later, a body slammed into the wall where his orange head had previously been. It sailed right over Ikkaku and Yumi who were still on the floor and cracked the wall slightly. Ichigo sighed in relief; at least his reflexes hadn't dulled. He had pushed the two men out of the way and had rolled himself and Starrk out of the way in a span of seconds before the body had crashed into them.

He looked around and saw that Gin had gotten himself out of the way as well. He stood, grinning as always, and unruffled.

Ichigo looked at where the crumpled body had come from and saw the blue haired man from the day before grinning hysterically. Shit, not this again Ichigo groaned to himself.

**Whew. That was longer than I thought it would be :). Some familiar faces are appearing. Grimmjow is still an ass though it seems.**

** Read and review please, Thanks. **

**=]**


	6. The Espada

**Chapter 6 is here! Sorry it took so long, my sister was having surgery done and things got stressful. I promise my next update will be quicker.**

**I don't own Bleach or its characters (unfortunately) **

Ichigo looked at where the crumpled body had come from and saw the blue haired man from the day before grinning hysterically. Shit, not this again Ichigo groaned to himself.

Gin snickered, "I think Grimmjow's got the hots for you Berry." Ichigo scowled at the tall man before turning to look at the grinning blue head, the scowl still on his orange brows. Grimmjow, so that was his name huh? The scowl grew fiercer. Ichigo was still crouched on the floor by Starrk (who was still asleep) when he was shoved to the side from behind, nearly losing his balance. The man that had been slammed into the wall stormed past. His tall, skeletal frame was unmarked even though the wall he had crashed into was cracked and crumbling. He had long black hair hanging straight and covering half his face, beneath that Ichigo could just barely see an eye patch.

A grin deformed his lips, stretching his face as he approached the man that had just thrown him at a wall. "Is that all you got you little fuck?" He demanded of Grimmjow with a cackle.

A hand was shoved unceremoniously in front of Ichigo's face. He looked up to see Ikkaku standing there with his other arm curled protectively around Yumichika's shoulders. Ichigo used the offered hand to pick himself up.

"Thanks for the save." Ikkaku said gruffly.

"Don't mention it," Ichigo responded and turned to look at the two arrancars facing off at the center of the room. "So does shit like this happen every day?"

"The fights? Nah, not really." Ikkaku said. "Only lately have they been getting really bad. Everyone has been feeling rather restless, antsy. And when this many cooped up fighters get restless, battles are bound to happen. The guards have had their hands full."

Wordlessly Gin came to stand next to Ichigo and Ikkaku. They watched as the arrancars fought. Nnoitra was taller and had a longer reach but Grimmjow was vicious and fast.

Grimmjow was landing multiple blows to the other man's face, grinning and laughing all the while, his aqua marine eyes glowing insanely. "What's the matter Nnoitra? Stupid pansy ass, you done already?"

Nnoitra suddenly swung a leg out catching Grimmjow in the head and sent him flying. The blue head was up in an instant and running. They crashed into each other, cussing and punching and kicking. Both were grinning and out for blood. Nnoitra's hierro was tough and Grimmjow had only managed to cut the bridge of his nose while the blue head himself had a several cuts and scrapes. Nnoitra shot a right hook that Grimmjow ducked before sending a knee into Nnoitra's flat stomach. The blow barely had any affect and Nnoitra kicked at Grimmjow's knee from the side, sweeping his feet out from underneath him causing him to crash onto his back on the ground. The skinny black haired man leaped onto Grimmjow's stomach and started sending punch after punch into his face and throat. Blood sprayed in the air with every hit.

Ichigo looked around and didn't see a guard in sight. "So do they care if we kill each other or what?" he questioned.

Yumichika laughed, "They will step in before they kill each other; they usually do. And it's not the guards that keep these guys in order it's their boss." As if on cue a loud sharp whistle rang out through the room. The two arrancars froze and looked up for the source of the sound.

The ring of spectators broke and a man stepped through. It was the brunette from yesterday. Slicked back hair and a smug, all knowing smile. He approached the arrancars on the floor and spoke, low and even, "What do you think you are doing, fighting here while everyone is trying to eat their breakfast. End this now."

Grimmjow opened his mouth, a challenge in his eye but stopped when the brunette turned his keen brown eyes on him, the small smile still on his lips. A dark, heavy reiatsu spurted out and weighed the air down. Sweat beaded on Grimmjow's brow and his eyes lost their challenge. He scowled as he pushed a still grinning Nnoitra off him and wiped a drop of blood from his lip before climbing to his feet. He shoved his hands into his pockets and slouched after the brunette who had started to walk away. Nnoitra followed them. A couple of other arrancars followed as well; a bald black man, a pink haired bespectacled man, and a large angry faced male. A smaller man with black hair and large green eyes walked at his side.

The strange group left the room, the other prisoners parting around them like they were royalty. Ichigo watched them leave and scowled heavily. "What the fuck was that about?" he demanded of Gin.

Gin's smile stretched thinner. "Those were the Espada. Consider them a gang a sorts here in Seireitei. They're a group of considerably strong arrancar who landed themselves here in prison. Sosuke Aizen is their leader. Before he came along they were disorganized, constantly warring and feuding amongst themselves. But when Aizen was arrested he organized them, gave them numbered rankings based on how strong they are and they pretty much took over the prison."

"No one knows which Espada is which number, so no one knows how strong they are. Everyone tries to avoid them." Yumichika added.

Ikkaku grimaced, "They mostly leave the rest of us alone, unless you get on their bad side. In that case you have three options, become their bitch, die or join a rivalling gang for protection. That would be us, the shinigami prisoners; we're just about the only rivalling gang and the arrancars and Espada out number us 10 to 1."

"So," finished Gin, "it is a good thing we found you. They are obviously curious-"

"Hostile" muttered Ichigo.

Gin continued, "About you and that means that they will come after you. Joining us will keep you safe."

Ichigo stared. "Uh, thanks for the offer," he got to his feet and looked down at the others, "but I don't plan on being here long (Ikkaku snorted at that, Ichigo continued with a frown) and I really don't think I need your protection. I can take care of myself."

Ikkaku snorted again and Yumichika laughed. Gin observed, "You are an experienced fighter but unless you join us, those Espada are going to kill you or make you their bitch. We can protect you from that-"

"Look," Ichigo interrupted with a glare, "I can take of myself. I took on about two dozen of the fuckers yesterday and Grimmjow. I don't need your help." With that he turned on his heel and stalked off.

The others watched him and then looked at each other.

"He ain't gonna last long." Yumichika stated with a small frown.

Starrk cracked open a sleep heavy lid to watch the orange haired man exit the room. He shut his eye again. Prideful yet protective, Kurosaki was an interesting creature. He had shown that when he had unconsciously dragged Starrk out of danger despite him being an arrancar. Things were going to get interesting here soon.

**What do you think Ichigo is gonna do? The next chapter will be posted soon. Until then I hope you enjoyed. Read and review, thanks =]**


	7. Prison Yard Fight

The minute Ichigo stepped out the door he was knocked head over heels onto his back with a heavy weight sitting on top of him. Goddammit he thought, he was going to keep getting ambushed and there was nothing he could do about it because of this stupid, fuckin collar. He looked up to see, Grimmjow…fuck! The blue-haired bastard was smiling widely; Ichigo wanted to punch the cocky grin off his face.

"Get the fuck off you prick!" Ichigo yelled, jerking his body around trying to get the large man off of him. Ichigo was strong but this man had more muscle mass than him and he couldn't get him off.

Grimmjow ran a finger down the redhead's face and down to his throat where he dug it in. Ichigo hissed as he felt the nail draw blood.

"Knock it off, you dumb fuck, get off me!" Ichigo demanded bucking his body trying to dislodge the blue-eyed man. Grimmjow just barked a laugh.

"What's the matter berry head," Oh great, now everyone knew about the stupid nickname, "You fall down? Here let me help you up." And with that Grimmjow leaped off Ichigo and yanked the redhead up by his arm in the same movement. In the moment Ichigo was still trying to gain his bearings, Grimmjow swung a fist into his stomach forcing Ichigo to double over in pain. Shit. Fuck. The arrancar could hit. Ichigo glanced up to see another fist rocketing towards his face. Ichigo lunged sideways away from it, rolling across the ground before coming to a crouch. A second later before he could stand, long fingers threaded through his hair and wrenched upwards, pulling him painfully to his feet and then higher, to where he was dangling above the ground. The fuck?

Ichigo struggled to glance around behind him to see the bastard, Nnoitra. "God dammit, put me down you fuckin pussies!" Ichigo yelled. The whole prison yard was watching the fight but no one made a move to put a stop to it. The hand on his hair released him only to grab Ichigo's arms and twist them behind his back once he landed. Ichigo looked up through pain filled eyes to see Grimmjow grinning shrilly. Fuckin bastard.

"Listen close, berry, we are gonna teach you a lesson about who is in charge around here and what happens when you challenge us." And with that he punched Ichigo hard in the face. His lip spilt and blood instantly began to well up. Another fist came down again. And again and again and again. Ichigo was getting the snot beat out of him and he couldn't do a thing about it.

Ikkaku, Yumichika, and Gin ran outside to find the new shinigami getting his face, stomach and shoulders pounded in by Grimmjow. Blood flooded down his face and every time a fist landed on his body he swore and cursed at the arrancars. Yumichika started forward to help him but was stopped by Gin tossing a casual arm out to stop him.

"Berry wants to do things his way, we're gonna let him." Yumichika scowled at Gin's words and swung around to look at his boyfriend in askance. Ikkaku shrugged and watched the fight. It's not even a fight Yumichika groaned inwardly, it's a slaughter.

Ichigo's whole body hurt. The barrage continued. He was weak and in pain. He missed his wife and this damn collar was making him weaker than he had ever been. Hot blood coated his whole face and he couldn't see a thing. How was this happening? What the fuck? Why was this happening? How did he even get here?

A strong hit to his temple made his vision blacken and a weak curse slipped from his lips as Nnoitra released his arms with a cackle. Ichigo fell hard to his knees. He started to fall forward but thrust out a hand to stop his descent. He blinked hard, trying to clear his eyes, breathing hard. Grimmjow sneered and snatched at Ichigo's orange locks, yanking his head back.

"It's about time you learn your place here you little fuck. You may have been some badass lieutenant in Soul Society, but here, you are just another convict. You are here like the rest of us; for life." A hard yank. "You are a shinigami and your place is at the bottom. You are going to be my little bitch from here on out. You got that." The hand thrust his head away and Ichigo slumped forward.

As he fell everything seemed to slow down. Guilt and shame roiled in his gut like poison. Guilt over the murders he was accused of, the murders of his own men, the men he couldn't save or even remember dying. Shame because of where he was. Prison-losing a fight to a prick like Grimmjow. Rukia would kick his ass and then Renji would kick it some more if they saw this. His thoughts roamed over the face of his wife. Was he going to die here, without even seeing her again, without telling her he loved her? Was he going to die in this prison yard like a dog?

No! The heavy denial came hard and fast shooting through his brain, clearing his thoughts. He refused to die here. He refused to give up and lose. Anger, no fury, built in his gut and flooded up his throat, dark and hungry. His vision cleared before seeing red. An icy presence flooded his mind like water. It breathed in his anger and breathed it out with a hiss; a hiss that frightened Ichigo like nothing else because it sounded like a word, a spoken word that said, "Yes." Drawn out and spoken with savage glee and fury that shook him to his very core.

Ichigo's body stopped its descent, seemingly on its own and time sped up to normal. His orange head shot up to glare at the blue-haired bastard that had tried to kill him. The sight of Grimmjow made the presence within Ichigo's mind fill with murderous intent. Ichigo felt power flood to his fingertips where it dripped off, dark and heavy. Power that was alien to him, that he had never felt before. At first he was frightened but then the power banished that fear and all he felt was anger.

He wanted to kill the man before him and the presence in his mind urged him do just that. He rose to his feet. An itching tickled his skin; causing him to peer down, the cuts on his hands were rapidly healing. His tongue prodded his split lip to find it healed as well. He grinned.

Grimmjow stood staring, the grin gone, replaced by a fearsome snarl. "What the hell?" he demanded harshly. Power curled off Ichigo's body and slammed into Grimmjow, forcing him to stagger back.

With a snarl the blue-nette started forward, fist raised. Ichigo shot forward, fast. He slammed his elbow into Grimmjow's face and watched with disinterest as the man hit the ground without a sound. He raised his eyes to the other arrancar, Nnoitra, who wore an expression of angered disbelief and under that, fear. He took a step back as Ichigo took one forward. Just as Ichigo was about to lunge for the black haired man, a firm hand landed in his shoulder. With a snarl he swung around to see an unfamiliar man facing him. A man with straight blond hair; bangs cut at an angle and a smile on his lips.

"Well now, I think that's enough don't you?" A pierced tongue flicked with his words, and the smile grew wider.


	8. Fury and Fear and Violence

**I do not own Bleach or its characters (unfortunately).**

With a snarl the blunet surged forward, fist raised. Ichigo shot forward, faster than the Espada. He slammed his elbow into Grimmjow's face and watched with disinterest as the man hit the ground without a sound. He raised his eyes to the other Espada, Nnoitra, who wore an expression of angered disbelief and under that, fear. He took a step back as Ichigo took one forward. Ichigo felt a cruel smile stretch his lips and just as he was about to lunge for the black haired man, a firm hand landed in his shoulder holding him back. With a snarl he swung around to see an unfamiliar man facing him. A man with straight blond hair; bangs cut at an angle and a smile on his lips.

"Well now, I think that's enough don't you?" A pierced tongue flicked with his words, and the smile grew wider.

The strange newcomer grinned at Ichigo who could feel the anger and fury gradually draining from him. His thoughts cleared and he took in the appearance of the newcomer. He wore white robes like the other prisoners but he didn't have a mask fragment, so that meant he was a shinigami. Ichigo scowled at the man before shrugging his hand from his shoulder and began to walk away. He passed the unconscious Grimmjow and kept walking. The crowd of shinigami and arrancar onlookers hastily backed away from the strawberry.

Gin came up behind the new guy and said, "Shinji, so kind of you to join us." The words came with a thin grin. Shinji turned to the man and returned the grin with one of his own.

"Hullo Gin. Ikkaku, Yumichika," he acknowledged them with a nod where they stood behind Gin. Shinji's head turned back to stare at the retreating back of Ichigo. "Is he the one you were telling me about Gin?" he questioned with a smirk.

"Thas him," Gin replied with a smirk of his own, "So pleasant is he not?" Ikkaku looked between the two men. Hirako Shinji was a shinigami, a former captain at that, but he had been arrested about 100 years ago and had been in Seireitei since then. He, like Gin, never talked about why he was arrested and when asked he would simply grin, wink and say that it wasn't any of your fuckin business.

He and Gin were more allies, than friends and while Gin was in charge of the shinigami in the prison, he always gave Shinji a small amount of respect that he did not give to many. Ikkaku had always wondered what the blonde man had done to earn the snake-eyed man's respect.

"Extremely so," Shinji said with a toothy grin, brown eyes glinting. "Got a fierce temper on him though, don't he?"

Ikkaku snorted, "You could say that." Yumichika shifted at his side and Ikkaku turned his head to look at him to see a question in Yumi's eyes. Ikkaku could guess at the question he was about to ask and when Yumi opened his mouth, his guess what correct

"What just happened?" Yumichika demanded, "One second he's close to dying and the next, he sends Grimmjow flying without even touching him." Ikkaku turned his gaze from his boyfriend to Gin and the blonde Shinji; he was wondering the same thing. When it had happened he had felt a cold surge of spiritual pressure from Ichigo. The strength of it had been staggering and had nearly left him winded.

Shinji and Gin glanced at them before sharing a discreet look. Ikkaku's eyes narrowed. They were hiding something, it was plain to see. But what were they concealing, what did they know that he didn't? He stared after Ichigo and finally noticed the other prisoners. They were likewise staring after the berry, most with fearful looks, while some looked intrigued.

The one that caught his attention immediately was the brunette, Sosuke Aizen. He watched Ichigo with a small smile and gleaming eyes. Ikkaku felt his hackles rise at the look. If Aizen became interested in someone as strong as Kurosaki, trouble was sure to find its way into the prison.

Then again, he thought, maybe trouble had already found its way here. Prison fights and riots had become common in the prison yard these days, as had the prisoners killing each other.

Usually arrancars were the ones to cause trouble but Aizen's arrival and take over had at first he brought a halt to it. But lately he seemed to encourage the violence; he allowed his Espada to run free of the leash and do as they please, the guards had just barely been able to keep up with their violent antics in the past months. The black robed guards had been running around and mediating all of them while trying to make it seem like they had everything under control when it was plain they had nothing under control.

Ikkaku would have to keep a better eye out from now on and keep Yumichika closer to his side. He wasn't willing to risk his lover's safety. He gazed around and looked at scattered groups of prisoners, whispering amongst each other. He felt a shiver rack his spine, an almost ominous chill. He shrugged it off and tugged at his boyfriend and began to lead him back inside.

As they went in though, Ikkaku couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to happen and it made him nervous.

Shit, shit, shit! Ichigo screamed and cursed in his head as he paced back and forth, his feet were sure to wear a trench in the ground if he kept pacing but he didn't stop. He ripped a hand through his hair, violently tugging on the orange strands before raking the hand down his face. He rubbed at his cheek, the skin feeling weird; dry and rough.

What in the hell was going on with him?! His temper just seemed completely out of control lately, he was hearing voices (well one voice that sounded like it was overlapped by other voices and garbled like it was coming from underwater), and now he had a strange spiritual pressure from inside him that kept rising up and trying to choke the life out of him.

The reiatsu was so strong and powerful and dark that Ichigo had nearly collapsed under the pressure. When it tore through his mind, his consciousness had faded a little bit too where he just felt detached yet angry at the same time. And the speed he had attacked Grimmjow with had been un-fucking-believable. What the fuck?!

His pacing feet moved quicker. Ichigo had always considered him-self a fair fighter, never attacking an opponent's back, never fighting dirty if he could help it but when he had knocked Grimmjow out he had come so close to stomping on the man's neck and killing him. The fingers in his hair tightened of their own accord. Why? Why was this happening? For that matter, _what_ was happening? He didn't understand and that freaked him out.

He growled and snarled and he felt angry at his own confusion and lack of understanding. His pulse race and his blurred. He swung around to face the wall he was hiding behind and planted his hand against it. He hung his head fighting for control, taking deep breaths. Goddammit!

His thoughts raced and the sound of his heavy breathing filled his ears. That stupid blue haired bastard and his one eyed friend had started all this. They were to blame. When Ichigo thought about the Espada he grew angrier and had to fight for control.

He swiped his hand down his cheek again and rubbed his eye, his skin felt itchy and dry. Motherfucker! And then there was that blonde guy that had kept him from knocking the piss out of Nnoitra. Ichigo's fists clenched.

He could still feel Grimmjow's fists driving into his body. When he had escaped behind the wall on the far side of the building he had been violently sick, throwing his guts up. After, he had yanked his kimono up to check the damage on his stomach and chest. What he had seen had nearly made him sick again, or rather, what he hadn't seen. The bruises on his stomach were gone. He had run his hands over his face where he had expected to cuts and bruises but had been astonished to find unblemished skin.

He had been pacing the entire time since fighting his rising temper. Fear and rage roiled in his guts like biting rattle snakes, relentless in their twisting and striking. Ichigo took his hands where they were shielding his eyes and stared down at them. On his left hand he stared at the tan line left behind by his wedding ring, how long before that faded?

And with that, his temper snapped. He swung around and drove his fist in the cement wall of the prison. He lifted his other fist and it's balled up fingers smashed into the wall as well. Over and over, he kept punching until his arms were lead and sweat stung his eyes.

Footsteps sounded behind him. Ichigo lurched around to find Aizen smiling at him, his eyes glinting. The sun shone down on his brown hair that was pushed back, a single twisted lock lying across his forehead.

"What the fuck do you want?" Ichigo demanded with a harsh snarl. His knuckles throbbed painfully but he put the ache from his mind as he faced the shinigami.

Aizen lifted a brow at Ichigo before smirking some more. His voiced was like oil trickling over ice, smooth and cold with a touch of sarcasm; the sound of it made Ichigo want to punch the other man's teeth down his throat.

"Nothing," he replied, "I was just curious to see how you faired after Grimmjow and Nnoitra's treatment. I wanted to make sure you weren't injured to badly by them."

Ichigo doubted this man gave two fucks about anyone but himself. Stupid, conceited bastard! Ichigo just scowled at the man.

"My my, what a scary face. Perhaps I should come back when you are less irritable. I just wanted to talk to you." A coy smile played with his lips as he drifted to Ichigo's other side looking him up and down. Ichigo followed the man's movements with narrowed eyes.

Unable to help himself, Ichigo asked, "Talk about what?"

Aizen's smile grew slightly, "you seem to be a strong man, a lieutenant and I hear you also achieved bankai a month after leaving the academy. Captain Yamamoto sings your praises as does every other captain. You hold the trust of every captain and nearly every soul reaper in soul society. A truly magnificent man with many accomplishments, a true genius, is what many call you Kurosaki." The words were slick and wrapped around Ichigo, similar to Aizen's slimy reiatsu.

Ichigo struggled to keep his hackles down along with his rising panic and suspicion. How did the man know so much about him? Aizen had been arrested while Ichigo was still in the soul reaper academy. There was no way he could know so much about him.

"What do you want?" Ichigo demanded harshly. The pain in his hands was severe, throbbing; he could feel blood dripping from the shredded skin.

Eyes glinting, Aizen responded, "Well, I could use a man like you at my side-"

Ichigo shoved past the man with a snarled, "Not interested." He kept walking and didn't see the fury spark in Aizen's eyes before it was concealed expertly. _Very well_, he thought to himself, _if that's how you want it to be then I will happily oblige. Let's see if you can hold your own against my Espada_.

**Dun Dun DUN! What is gonna happen? **

**This was a long one, I just couldn't help it lol.**

**Thanks to every one for their awesome reviews, keep them coming. I love reading them. And if you have any suggestions or critiques, tell me those as well. I welcome them, they help a lot.**

**I am also thinking of branching out into other types of writing ~evil smile~ so keep an eye out.**

**Thanks for reading, please review**

**=] **


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